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Assessment of energy saving oil pipelines (AESOP)

Deliverables

The objective of the test is to evaluate the performance of drag reducer with respect to piston cleanliness, cylinder wear, oil thickening, general engine cleanliness, deposit control and turbocharger performance in a heavy duty diesel engine running a test cycle consisting of both steady state and cyclic phases. This test has been run in accordance with the CEC L-52-T-97" Low emission heavy duty diesel" test method. The motor used is the Mercedes-Benz OM441LA, an 11 litres, V6 heavy-duty diesel engine. The test duration is 400 hours and consists of alternate 50-hour phases of steady state and cyclic speed running. At the end of the test, a comprehensive evaluation of engine is carried out covering the following parameters: - Piston cleanliness; - Deposits / sludge; - Bore polish; - Cylinder wear; - Used oil analysis; - Oil consumption - Turbocharger boost pressure loss and deposit rating. At first, the test was run with a special single source low sulfur diesel fuel (reference test). A second test was run with the same fuel added with a drag reducer with a concentration of 80-ppm volume/volume. Conclusion: No significant difference of tested parameters compared to the reference test.
The Pipeline Studio Software has been developed in order to simulate the fluid hydraulics within Oil Pipelines incorporating Long Chain Polymers or Drag Reduction Additives, injected into the pipeline. This software is required so as to be able to validate the derived AESOP DRA effectiveness and degradation formula against the results obtained from the field trials, performed by other partners within the AESOP project. By performing off-line hydraulic simulations, modelling the various pipelines used during the field trials, varying concentrations of DRA injection have been simulated. The results obtained from these multiple simulation runs have confirmed that for the products tested, under the conditions specified during the field trials, the formulas that have been derived compare favourably with the results obtained from the live field tests. This validation of the formula provides a high level of confidence in the ability of the AESOP DRA formula to hydraulically describe the characteristics of the supplied DRA within the AESOP tested pipelines. This verification should allow potential users of Pipeline Studio to be confident in the results generated by the off-line tool in terms of hydraulic modelling encompassing the AESOP DRA formulas, for use on their individual pipeline design. Users will be able to experiment with different DRA injection rates in order to establish what benefits can be achieved in terms of reduction in pumping power / energy savings or increased product throughput. The key innovative feature confirmed by results of the AESOP project is the fact that the formula generated and validated are not only empirical, they are actually tried and tested against live field conditions. This should enable a high degree of certainty for users of pipeline Studio such that the simulations produced will provide an accurate representation of field pipeline conditions. At the time of writing this report, the current status of the software is that it is undergoing beta testing. The incorporation of the AESOP DRA formula within Pipeline Studio is taking place along side a major release of the Pipeline Studio software product. The results generated during the validation of the AESOP formula can be used as a comparison benchmark against future product testing. As part of the AESOP field trials two products were field-tested. From these two products, the variables required to be input into the AESOP DRA formula were determined so as to ensure as close a correlation as possible between simulation and field results. If the software is to be used to model pipelines carrying other products than that which has been tested and verified under the AESOP project, the variables within the DRA formula will require to be amended. The determination of these variables is likely to be performed via a trial and error process - Inputting different variables into Pipeline Studio and comparison of the results. Once the results of the simulations fall within the same range as that tested during the AESOP project, the variables should be deemed to be as accurate as those that were produced for the project. The anticipated benefits from the use of Pipeline Studio incorporating the AESOP DRA formula are as follows: - An accurate representation of product transfer throughout the entire length of the pipeline. - Determination of the pressure drop along the pipeline. - Determination of increased throughput along the pipeline. - Potential energy savings as a result of reduced pressure drop and therefore reduced pumping costs. - Representation of DRA effectiveness and degradation as it travels along the pipeline.
This results consists of two models: one of effective drag reduction and other of degradation. These models provide these values as function of the operating parameters. The models are used in a pipeline to compute the effect of adding Drag Reducing Agent (DRA) to the product. The effectiveness model provides the efficiency in terms of the drag reduction that is obtained for a given DRA concentration. This allows calculating the benefit of including DRA in the pipeline by computing the optimal quantity of additive to be used. The degradation model can be used to calculate the degradation of the additive as the product travels through the pipeline. This value is necessary in order to calculate the concentration to be injected both at the head of the line and at the intermediate injection points (if they exist). Both models depend on the pipeline and product parameters. This is, given a pipeline (defined by pipes characteristics) and the product to be sent, it gives the percentage of improvement obtained for different DRA concentrations. The models have been obtained fitting a parametric structure to real data from several pipelines of two of the partners. The models have already been used by CLH to be included in its simulation program provided by ESI. They allow the dispatching office to calculate the needed DRA in each situation. These results can be used as a tool by any pipeline company who want to improve its results by using DRAs. The results obtained from the simulation softwares have confirmed that for the products tested, under the conditions specified during the field trials, the formulas that have been derived compare favourably with the results obtained from the live field tests. This validation of the formula provides a high level of confidence in the ability of the AESOP DRA formula to hydraulically describe the characteristics of the supplied DRA within the AESOP tested pipelines. This verification should allow potential users to be confident in the results generated by the off-line tool in terms of hydraulic modelling encompassing the AESOP DRA formulas, for use on their individual pipeline design. Users will be able to experiment with different DRA injection rates in order to establish what benefits can be achieved in terms of reduction in pumping power / energy savings or increased product throughput. The key innovative feature confirmed by results of the AESOP project is the fact that the formula generated and validated are not only empirical, they are actually tried and tested against live field conditions. This should enable a high degree of certainty for users such that the results produced will provide an accurate representation of field pipeline conditions. The results generated during the validation of the AESOP formula can be used as a comparison benchmark against future product testing. As part of the AESOP field trials two products were field-tested. From these two products, the variables required to be input into the AESOP DRA formula were determined so as to ensure as close a correlation as possible between simulation and field results.
CLH and SPMR-TRAPIL pipeline networks for refined products have been the test bank to assess how DRAs (Drag Reducing Agent) or PDRs (Pipeline Drag Reducing agent) affect flowrates and energy saving. The battery of tests has tried to be as much extensive as possible, in order to extrapolate the results to any pipeline. To this end, data from tests has been collected at different operation conditions - varying the diameter of pipeline, fuel product transported, additive concentrations and hydraulic conditions of pumping. The pipeline diameters tested vary from 8” to 16”, and all the tests have been carried out with two different additives A and B, from different vendors: - DRA A. Poliolefine polymer in water emulsion - DRA B. Poliolefine polymer gel in light hydrocarbon solution On the other hand, the polymer effectiveness tests show the differences when using a polymer emulsion or a polymer gel, being more efficient DRA A. Every test starts collecting the BASE LINE for the pipeline segments selected. A specific scenario must be prepared letting us know the Maximum Flow of the segment without DRA. The information obtained from this scenario will be the ZERO DATA and will be used for the basis of the adjusted calculations like roughness and others. The effect of DRA injection corresponds to a decrease in the Friction Factor that will vary depending on the additive concentration and the operation conditions of the pipeline. This effect, from the point of view of a pipeline operation, translates to an increase of the flowrates or to a reduction of the energy needed to pumping the fuel product. Although the volume of DRA injected in a pipeline is limited, it has been demonstrated that the efficiency of DRA has an asinthoptic behaviour for high concentrations of additive. This means that for concentrations higher than 25ppm the efficiency of DRA increase very low or it is not worthy to inject more additive concentration. Some tests have been done to evaluate the stability of performance. The DRA has a very good performance once it has been injected in the pipeline and all the tests carried out in different pipelines under the same conditions give similar results. Further tests have been carried out creating strong flow fluctuations and the additive has demonstrated good stability, maintaining the efficiency in the segment. Finally, concerning the DRA concentration, there is an influence in the efficiency along the pipeline length. The tests show that a high DRA concentration has better results in efficiency along the distance. This means, in practical terms, that when using high additive concentration the effectiveness loss is not so incisive.
Drag Reducing Agent (DRA) additives are used for optimising operations in pipeline transportation, by means mainly of increasing capacity and saving energy. To develop their performance, these additives have to be added to the fuel in some phase of pipeline transportation, so, they will be present in fuels when they are finally supplied to the market and the end users. For the above reason, it is necessary to guarantee that the presence of additives do not interfere in the characteristics or performance of fuels, thus, the two DRA additives included in the project have been evaluated regarding their influence on physicochemical properties of fuels. This result is a guarantee that, from the technical point of view, fuels containing these additives fulfil requirements specified by European authorities. Besides, this technical guarantee acts as a commercial guarantee as it assures quality maintenance of fuels through value chain to all the companies that participate in different parts of the whole chain. Also, this guarantee is a guarantee for final consumers as the product they are using fits using requirements and expectations. Overall results of the project allow using polymers for energy saving, which with no doubt represent great benefits to European citizens in terms of economy and quality of life. This result, as it allows evaluation of an essential aspect needed to the safe use of this product, represents a huge contribution to the overall results of the project. This result has also enabled the establishment of an analysis protocol for this kind of additives. The protocol considers all technical aspects, identifies the most critical properties and focuses on them. From the point of view of dissemination, the protocol is a whole public result and will be disseminated in a thesis for PhD grade. From the point of view of using the result, it has already been included in CLH normal activity in product evaluation, so the protocol is fully operational. From the point of view of the commercialisation of the result, as CLH centro de Ensayos is also an independent laboratory, this protocol will be offered as an external service to third companies, (manufacturers or users of these additives) in case they want to analyse this aspect of additives behaviour.
This result is a software package for optimal oil pipeline operation. This result can be used in any pipeline and provides a strategy that minimizes the operating cost while fulfilling the transport needs. The software package computes the schedule for the operating strategy in a chosen period of time, calculating the optimal actions to be taken in pumps and valves in that period of time. The cost includes the pumping energy and the DRA cost. The innovative aspect of this result is the inclusion of the influence that DRA has on the transport capabilities. The software packages use models of DRA effectiveness and degradation and can be integrated with a pipeline simulation package. The software is ready to be used and up to now have been integrated with PLS. The expected benefit of the result is a reduction in the operating cost of the pipeline. This program gives the exploitation manager a decision support tool.
These guidelines resume the tasks that must be taken into account when deciding injecting Drag Reducing Agents (DRA), because when an oil pipeline company decides to start using DRA, it must take into account several decisions. First of all, it must do study of the pipeline network to determine in which segments it will be interesting to use this type of additive. In this sense, we will focus our attention to the segments that are close to saturation and the ones that will be of special interest at energy saving. Secondly, the company must apply this study to the fuel products into which DRA can be injected. Nowadays, for example, international aviation regulations do not permit the use of these additives in kerosene. Finally before deciding on the segments in which the DRA is going to be used, it must highlighted that the restrictions in diameter or intermediate equipment that produce turbulence or acceleration fields in the flow, will shear the long chain polymer at these sites and the efficiency will be reduced. Concerning the injection point has to be installed after each pumping stations because of the shearing effect of pumps: after a passage through a pumping station no effect of previously present DRA remains. In addition, having more injection points reduces the influence of length on the efficiency of the long-chain polymers, where this issue is relevant. Concentration of drag reducer has to be optimised taking care of the line configuration and the active material of the drag reducer agent. Which means that the injection rate may depend on the considered section and the flowrate. Then the best way to ensure an optimal and constant concentration is to have a remote-controlled injection, that will corrected the additive concentration according to the pipeline flowrates. At the exit of the pipeline, in order to reduce possible influence on metering system or risks of filter clogging, long-chain polymers have to be sheared before getting out of the pipeline. This easy to achieve by installing a plate orifice or any other equipment than can cause a pressure drop. Regards to the additiveted oil transported through the pipeline do not need any special recommendation for storage, if long-chain polymers contained in the product have been sheared.
This database stores the Experimental Field Tests and includes the data and all the necessary routines to access them through Internet. The database is linked to the database containing laboratory analysis results and is easily accessible to partners. The Data Scheme has been implemented on a commercial Data Base Management System. Two aspects have been taken into account in the design of the database for AESOP: - Easiness of future changes and/or additions. The incorporation of data from new tests is an easy task due to the adopted data structure. - Referential integrity of data, needed to assure the consistency of information. The database is composed of several tables corresponding to the several tests that have been carried out. The database includes the fuel performance tests and experimental fuel tests. The CLH data tables include information about tests carried out by CLH in several pipelines. The tables contain information about the pipeline when different DRA concentration is used and although the base line without DRA in order to compare results. Three main properties are calculated and stored: - Friction Reduction (FR); - Flow Improvement (FI); - Power Reduction (PR). The tests have been performed by CLH in their following pipelines: - AGRO: Algeciras - Rota; - ADPO: Adamuz - Poblete; - HUCRSE: Huelva - Coria del Río - Sevilla; - MALE: Mafumet - Lérida; - SOMI: Somorrostro - Miranda. The products that have been pumped are Gas oil (GOA) and Gasoline (GNA). There are also a few tests with Jet Aviation (JA1) although they are not representative. TRAPIL tables include the same information as CLH’s ones. The tests have been performed by TRAPIL in two pipelines: VAL-CLA and CLA-TCE, and only for Gas oil (GOA).
Application of ultrasonic energy is a sonochemistry method, able to shear the high molecular weight polymers into a fluid. In the case of Drag Reducing Additives (DRA) used to facilitate fuel transportation, this shearing is necessary to restore the initial properties of the fuel. Although a higher installation cost is involved, compared to mechanical shearing techniques, the ultrasonic shearing of polymers does not need any obstacle to be inserted inside the pipeline. The transducers can be installed outside the pipeline, and the degree of shearing can be easily modulated at will by varying the electrical current in the transducers. The extensive laboratory experiments, carried out by CSL, have given a detailed knowledge of the ultrasonic processing, as a function of all relevant parameters such as temperature, frequency and mode of application. The needed ultrasonic energy has been quantified for a large range of DRA concentrations in the fuel. The method could be applied to the shearing of various chemicals for in-line processing. A complete laboratory setup is available at CSL, with computer recording of all parameters.
This result is a database containing the results of the laboratory analysis performed during the project. The database includes the results of all the experiments carried out by CLH, CRF and CSL. The information is easily accessed and graphical tools are available. The database includes: - Laboratory tests for polymer shearing. - Engine exhaust gas tests. - Intake valves deposits tests. - Combustion chamber deposit tests. - Piston tops deposits tests. - Low emission heavy duty diesel test. - Innocuity test of an additive fuel burned in a boiler. The database is linked to the oil pipeline experiments database and is easily accessible to partners, due to its Internet capabilities.
Oil transportation companies are experiencing a need to increase their efficiency and transport capabilities. It has been shown that the frictional pressure drops or drags, responsible for energy losses and limiting the throughput of oil pipelines, can be significantly reduced by injecting long-chain polymers (the so called flow improvers). However, the technique is not widely used by oil-pipeline companies because of the lack of design and operation knowledge at industrial scale. The main objective of the project was to reduce the energy consumption and to increase the transport capabilities of oil pipeline networks by developing the techniques required to use long-chain polymers as Drag Reducing Agent (DRA) in European oil pipeline networks. The drag reducers tested has fulfilled the expectations and the results of the project can be resumed in the following items: - It has been evaluated two type of DRA regarding their influence on physicochemical properties of fuels. For all the fuels and properties considered, the DRAs used at high dosages and after shearing the additive do not produce any influence on the properties included in the European Specifications for fuels. - From the point of view of laboratory analysis, it has been developed a procedure that allows determination of DRAs shearing level (molecular weight) with good precision. The Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) procedure shows that evolution of shearing levels by ultrasounds is very close to the previously determined evolution of critical properties of fuels containing DRAs. - The experiments in the sonication field as tool for shearing the polymer gives a minimum energy of fuel necessary to shear the additives present in the solution. Based in this result, it has been done the calculations to design a field sonicator, but the figures show that the system that would bring the necessary ultrasonic energy to the fuel is a very large and costly system. - Concerning the effect on end users, besides the set of experiment in the phisyco-chemical laboratory a set of experiment on engines in test bench has been carried out, and finally a set of tests on a car has been carried out to evaluate the influence on catalyst aging and car emissions. The results show no influence on engine performance and deposits generation on different engine parts. Results obtained in catalyst aging in the two programmed tests were not conclusive and two new tests were scheduled and run. The overall results show that no detection of effect on catalyst and emissions. - Finally the main part of the project corresponding to the field test in pipelines have covered a systematic set of experiences at industrial level to assess energy savings in fuel transportation by the use of long chain polymers, the degradation of the flow improvers and the influence on measurement equipment. - The battery of test has been collected in a database that resumes the experiences in DRA effectiveness and polymer degradation. This database has been the input to develop the methodology and knowledge in the shape of engineering formulas and models relating energy savings to the proportion of polymers, flows in pipelines, friction reduction and other operating conditions. The algorithm presented by AICIA has been checked against experimental tests and show very good performance. The state of the art at the beginning of the project concerning how DRA affects the hydraulic calculations were pretty new and not very precise. With the publication of this algorithm, we do a step forward at hydraulic calculations when using DRA. - The analysed variables (diameter, additive concentration, pipeline design, fuel product transported and type of additive) during the experiments show how the additive performs under different operation conditions and will be one of the tools to check the software results. The software packages produce by the project will be of great help for the design and optimal operation of oil pipelines, in order to reduce energy consumption and increase the transportation capabilities. These software packages corresponds to a) Software for optimal Operation and b) Software for Oil Pipeline Simulation - Beside these two main results concerning the experimental field test, it will be published a document with guidelines for an optimal use of polymers in oil pipelines, which will resume some useful recommendations for the injection of DRA, gathered during the three years of the project testing with polymers.
Apart from their performance in drag reducing, for their use in pipeline these long chain polymers have to be evaluated from the point of view of their influence in fuels behaviour and performance. One of the aspects that have to be considered is the need to have an analytical method for detecting the presence of those compounds in fuels. In this case this subject appears as especially complex as the Drag Reducing Agents (DRA) can be in the fuel in many different shearing grades. The work covers the evaluation of HPLC-GP test procedure from the point of view of its capability in the identification of DRAs at different shearing levels and the concentration of those additives. The developed procedure allows both determinations of DRAs shearing level (molecular weight) and determination of DRAs concentration. Overall results of the project allow using polymers for energy saving, which no doubt represent great benefits to European citizens in terms of economy and quality of life. This result allows evaluating an important aspect that could be very useful in the establishment of future specification regarding the use of this product or specifying their presence in some critical fuel. For example, the potential use of these additives in aviation kerosene transportation is now being studied - although there are still some open questions regarding this possibility, the existence of an analytical method able to detect additive presence in fuel and their molecular size can be (after standardization with different laboratories) a usefull tool to additive approval. From the point of view of dissemination, the protocol is a whole public result and will be disseminated in a thesis for PhD grade. From the point of view of using the result, it has already been included in CLH normal activity and is a test that is being carried out as CLH normal activity. From the point of view of the commercialisation of the result, as CLH centro de Ensayos is also an independent laboratory, this protocol will be offered as an external service to third companies, (manufacturers or users of these additives) in case they want to analyse this aspect of additives behaviour. Besides, the experience accumulated with this analytical technique can be useful in the future to analyse other polymers and standardize new methods that could also be included in CLH centro de Ensayos portfolio.
The use of drag reduction agent (DRA) in oil pipelines is a way to save energy but long-chain polymers can have an influence on the pipeline metering system. Consequently the aim of the project is to analyse the effect of drag reducer agent on the metering equipment under different operating conditions and to determine the less energetic method based on line equipment to destroy this influence. Tests are based on a comparison between two counters: one at the beginning of the line located before the injection point and a second at the end. The first one is the reference counter because, during the tests, it is never influenced by the long-chain polymers of the drag reducer agent. The second one is the tested one on which deviation is measured. Each test was composed by a series of different stages but always began by a stage of reference: comparison of both counters without DRA injection. The following steps could be done one after one or separately: - Test of influence: line full of additived fuel in normal use conditions (NB: control valves after injection point of long-chain polymers have to be fully opened). - Test of destroying effect: line full of additived fuel with addition and before the second counter, set up of the tested method to destroy effect of long-chain polymers on the measuring system. Tests of influence on helicoidal blades turbine metering system show that counters over count when drag reducer agents are used (deviation depends on the concentration of the additive and can reach five per mil at 25ppm injection rate). To destroy the deviation effect, the best way is the use of control valve to create a pressure drop before the downstream metering equipment. At 5 bars of pressure drop no more influence is noticed. The pressure drop value could be under 5 bars if the installation is composed by elements, which create pressure drop on their own. Pump is another way to destroy effect but should be used only if after the pump there is another section of pipeline (that does not need DRA) as pump itself needs energy to work and that energy is lost in case of delivery just after this equipment. Note: A little part energy is saved in using drag reducer agent must be spend to destroy the generated effect on metering equipment.
The amount of energy required for oil transportation is considerable and affects the price of energy. Furthermore, oil companies are experiencing a need for increasing their efficiency and transport capabilities. It has been shown that the frictional pressure drops or drags, responsible of energy losses and of limiting the throughput of oil pipelines, can be significantly reduced by injecting these long-chain polymers. Results of energy saving will also help reducing CO2 and others emissions. The accordance with the European environmental policies is thus clear as an agreement was reached in March 1997 at a meeting of the Ministers of the Environment of the EU on a 15% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2010 with reference to the 1990 level. The energy saving can be studied from two different points of view: - Considering no increase in transport capacity (neither by pipelines nor by trucks). The current capacity is transported with or without additives, being the energy saving just the difference spent in energy consumption in pumps in both cases. - Considering that the quantities transported in pipelines are not increased and the surplus continues being transported by trains and trucks: in this case the energy saving is the difference between the energy needed to transport the current limit of ton-km by pipeline without additive (Drag Reducing Agent - DRA), completed with trucks transportation and the energy needed to transport the total ton-km by pipelines when using DRA. Both scenarios give figures in the rate of energy saving between 3000 and 11000GWh, depending on the addtive concentration and calculated for a total fuel traffic figure of 107E+9 ton km (adapted from Concawe, 2002 considering an average density of 0,8500kg/l).
The main activity of CRF has been focused on the assessment of long-chain polymers effects on engine behaviour in terms of: emissions, deposit on engine components and effect on catalyst converter. In the project's “Assessment of effect on engine behaviour” -part, the work has been focused on the evaluation of the Drag Reducing Agent (DRA) A, and separately added to the fuel (diesel fuel with 350 p.p.m. of sulphur) of a diesel car (Punto 1.9JTD) covering 15.000 km on the road for each additive. The CRF activity has been split as follows: - Test on the road covering 3000 km, using commercial diesel only, in order to set the 1st Zero emissions point. Emissions analysis has been carried out applying the standards procedures NEDC2000, in order to fulfil the actual European Emissions standards EURO3. (please refer to 6th Month AESOP and CRF technical reports) - Test on the road covering 15000km using commercial diesel with 100 mg/kg of DRA B (polyalfaolefine dissolved in light hydrocarbon).The emissions have been analysed every 5000km. (please refer to 6th Month AESOP and CRF technical reports) - Chemical and physical characterisation of used lube oil. Dismantling and inspection of the car engine components: intake valve deposits, diesel filter, injectors. Morphological and chemical characterisation of the exhaust of catalytic converter. (please refer to 18th Month AESOP and CRF technical reports) - Test on the road covering 3000 km, using commercial diesel only, in order to set the 2nd Zero emissions point. (please refer to 24th Month AESOP and CRF technical reports) - Test on the road covering 15000km using commercial diesel with 100 mg/kg of DRA A (polyamide dissolved in water solution).The emissions have been analysed every 5000km. (please refer to 30th Month AESOP and CRF technical reports) - Chemical and physical characterisation of used lube oil. Dismantling and inspection of the car engine components: intake valve deposits, diesel filter, injectors. Morphological and chemical characterisation of the exhaust of catalytic converter. (please refer to 30th Month AESOP and CRF technical reports) The final outcome of the project can contribute to a carefully selection of the typology of additives to be used as drag reducers, in order to obtain an important energy saving in European oil pipelines networks. In fact, although the total kilometres covered using each additive are not enough to be compared with a realistic lifetime of a car, in relation to the experimental protocol applied, some general comments can be drawn: - The emissions measured while using the DRA B are comparable with the EURO3 standards. - Concerning the DRA A, it is necessary a further evaluation through an extra test program to confirm or not the result. In both of additives, no significant influence has been detected in the tendency of the fuel to leave deposit on engine parts and components.

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